Cars, Coffee, Camaraderie Come To Downtown

Lincoln Avenue in Downtown Winnetka looked like an auto museum Sunday morning as it was the season's third meeting of Fuelfed's Coffee and Classics.

The event is a monthly, informal gathering put on by Fuelfed, a Chicago-based auto enthusiast club.  

There is no registration needed, no sign-in, and no plan. Drivers of classic cars simply show up, park, and get to know one another.

Coffee and Classics founder and the man behind Fuelfed, Brian Hughes, said he started the gathering after sitting in Cafe Aroma, a sponsor of the event, one day and seeing a well-dressed man exit a vintage Mercedes.  

"I've always been a car enthusiast and I started thinking, 'How many people in this area are like that?'  I figured there had to be a bunch of garages with some classics in them. I wanted to give people a reason to bring them out."

Hughes said he never knows who is going to show up.  "Month to month there's probably about 70 percent different cars. It's always a surprise as to what you are going to see."

Fuelfed's Coffee and Classics happens once a month from April to October. The next gathering will be held July 31.